Highlights of the year The Warburg Renaissance project gains further support
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fundraising campaign seeking to raise £5 million towards a visionary redevelopment of the Warburg Institute at the University of London has reached new milestones, thanks to generous philanthropic support from a number of trusts and foundations. To date, the project has raised £2.6 million, with £2.4 million left to raise.
In October 2019, the Warburg Renaissance capital redevelopment project received a donation of £150,000 from the Garfield Weston Foundation, one of the UK’s largest charitable foundations. This was followed in January 2020 by a gift of £500,000 from the Marie-Louise von Motesiczky Charitable Trust. The Warburg Institute was and still is a hub for émigré scholars, curators and artists, one of whom was Marie-Louise von Motesiczky (1906-96), a Vienna-born artist. The Institute is honoured to recognise the grant with the planned creation of the ‘Marie-Louise von Motesiczky Teaching Suite’.
offerings, and creating new facilities for special collections, exhibitions, and events. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a temporary pause of the project, whilst the project reached a natural hiatus halfway through RIBA Stage 4: Technical Design, after an inspiring mid-stage review from the project architects, Haworth Tompkins. However, the Warburg Renaissance remains a top priority for the Warburg Institute and the University of London, and the project will proceed as planned as soon as normal operations can resume.
The Warburg Renaissance will transform the Warburg Institute by restoring its original vision and making it ready for future generations, enhancing the Institute’s academic resources, teaching facilities and public For more information about supporting the Warburg Renaissance, please visit warburg.sas.ac.uk/warburg-renaissance or contact Maja Vukicevic, Head of Development, at maja.vukicevic@london.ac.uk
University of London Convocation Trust benefits from kind support of the London Members’ Group
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onations to the Convocation Trust play a vital role in supporting initiatives across the University: from student scholarships and academic prizes, to innovative research and the creation of world-class facilities. Recent grants made by the Convocation Trust have supported research initiatives such as a project by the University’s Institute of Commonwealth Studies into the oral history of the ‘Windrush Generation’, and a project by the University’s Institute of English Studies to support a Toolkit for Inclusivity and Diversity in English Studies (TIDE). In an endorsement of the University’s access to education mission, the Trust has also provided 10 fully-funded scholarships and other grants to academics and students across the federal University, including support to member institutions.
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The Effect of Giving 2019–20
In early 2019-20, the Convocation Trust received a generous gift of £5,000 from the University of London Graduates London Members’ Group. The group, which was formerly a branch of the University of London Convocation, continued to be active once Convocation closed in 2003, and gives former Convocation members based near London an opportunity to meet together, enjoy social outings and provide support for the University. Our thanks go to the University of London Graduates London Members’ Group, as well as all those alumni and former Convocation members who continue to support the University and its students via the Convocation Trust.